What is Duet AI for Google Workspace?

Generative AI has taken the world by storm. While Google has been a few steps behind the competition, it’s coming into the fray like a charging elephant. During its Google I/O 2023 event, Google showcased the Duet AI feature for Google Workspace that integrates with all Google Workspace apps, including Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet and Gmail, and helps people become more productive . If you’ve been out of the loop, we explain Duet AI for Google Workspace and why it’s a big deal. So put on your wireless earphones, play your favorite music and let’s get started.

Duet AI for Google Workspace explained

While Duet AI for Google Workspace might sound like a terrible name, it makes sense if you understand Google’s vision for its generative AI future. Just like a duet has two singers, Google wants its generative AI to be a duet partner for its Google Workspace users. The idea is to integrate AI into all of Google’s apps, allowing you to collaborate with AI in real time, just like with people.

Duet AI for Google Workspace uses generative AI capabilities to enable text generation and summarization, image generation from prompts, and data organization. Google provided several examples on stage, showing how Duet AI for Google Workspace can be a valuable addition for its Workspace users.

Since the product is still in beta and we can’t test these features live, we walk you through these examples to show you what to expect from Duet AI for Google Workspace.

Summary of Duet AI features coming to Google Workspace

Duet AI integrates seamlessly with all Google Workspace apps and enables several quality-of-life-enhancing features. For example, you can draft a quick reply to an email using Duet AI’s Gmail integration or organize a project in Google Sheets in seconds. Here are the features announced by Google for Google Duet AI.

Help me write: Create replies and documents via email

If you’ve used or heard of ChatGPT, you know about the new Help me write feature in Google Duet AI. Use a large language model to build email documents and replies based on entered requests. It’s one of the features available at launch, and you can try it right away by joining the Trusted Testers Beta Program.

Once accepted into the program, you will see a wand button that you can click to enter the Duet AI interface. For example, in the Gmail web app, click the button and ask it to generate an email or ask it to write a reply to emails. Or you can ask him to write an essay within Google Docs.

The basic idea of ​​Help Me Write is to remove the pressure of facing the blank page. Duet AI generates content that you can use as a springboard to create emails and documents.

Building blocks of artificial intelligence in Google Docs

One of the interesting features of Duet AI is the AI ​​base blocks feature in Google Docs. Works with the Help Me Write feature to allow businesses to create personalized content in minutes.

For example, when you ask Duet AI to create a description for a job posting, it writes the description and adds smart chips for things like status, location and company name, allowing you to edit and customize the content for your business. For example, if you want to post a job for a company headquarters in Denver, click on the location smart chip, search for Denver, and add it as a location requirement.

Finally, the hardest part of using AI generation is creating prompts to get the correct answer. Google is addressing this by enabling its AI to make timely suggestions. Google Duet AI generates contextual messages by analyzing the content of your document.

If you haven’t used Microsoft’s Generative AI tools or OpenAI because you didn’t know how to create good prompts, Duet AI could solve this problem.

Help me visualize: Generative images in Google Slides

One of Duet AI’s most impressive new features is coming to the Google Slides app. Creating and adding images to your slides becomes easy with Duet AI built into the Google Slides app. You won’t waste hours searching for photos on Google. It works similar to Midjourney, which is the most popular AI generative image service.

Like in Google Docs, you can access Duet AI using the magic wand button. You can then give it a request to generate an image based on the content of your slide. Duet AI creates six to eight images, letting you choose the best option. You can also choose an image and refine its content with additional tips for best results. You can also generate speaker notes for Google Slides, allowing you to deliver better presentations.

Help me organize: Analyze data in Google Sheets

One of the hardest things a business has to do is organize and analyze data to get actionable action points. Google Duet AI is here to help you with this aspect of your business. It starts with the new Help Me Organize feature that allows Google Workspace users to create custom plans for projects and tasks.

All you need to do is describe what you want to accomplish, and Duet AI generates a custom action plan in Google Sheets to get you started. New data classification tools understand the context of the data in cells and apply labels automatically, saving you from manual data entry tasks.

Duet AI also helps you better understand your data. According to Google, users can select a set of data points in Google Sheets and ask Duet AI to analyze the data and generate action items.

Generate unique backgrounds in Google Meet

Google Meet is also getting Duet AI integration. According to Google, users can generate unique personalized backgrounds for Google Meet meetings, which help them express themselves and protect their privacy by hiding their surroundings.

How to sign up for Google Duet AI

If you like what you’re reading, join the Google Duet AI beta program and become a trusted tester. There are two requirements you need to meet before you can sign up for Duet AI. First, you must be an administrator of a Google Workspace account, and second, you must be using the Google Chrome browser. Provided you meet these two criteria, follow the steps below to sign up for Google Duet AI.

1. Visit the Google Labs home page and scroll down to the Google Workspace Labs section.
2. Click the Join the waiting list button.

3. Click the Express interest button.

4. You will be redirected to a Google Form. Fill out and send the form to express your interest.

5. Wait for Google to accept your application.

Google Duet AI: Microsoft Copilot Killer?

Google Duet AI is a direct competitor to Microsoft Copilot. We’ll have to wait and see if it can compete with the latter, as Microsoft has the edge. While you wait for your Duet AI invite, check out Google Search’s advanced operators, which help you find things faster.